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Or I should say I recommend using. You can go up to the menu every time if you want, but come on seriously every time. If I find myself using the menu for something several times in a day I feel like that’s a keyboard shortcut I should know. As the title suggests keyboard shortcuts are a great way to take command of your workflow to spend more time make design decisions and creating and less time pushing the mouse back and forth.

1. Option Kerning (All Adobe programs, pretty sure)

This is courtesy of Mike and Sara. You can quickly adjust kerning and leading by placing the insertion point in a block of text and while holding option tapping the arrow keys. (This is probably the best kept secret of modern times).

2. Command + B , Past in Place (illustrator)

This handy shortcut allows you to paste something in the exact spot you copied it. This is really useful for layering or I use it to paste something into a group that was previously left out.

3. Command + ~, Shuffle Documents (most Adobe Programs I think)

I found this quite on accident but this shuffles between multiple documents open within the same program. (Saves you the trouble of clicking the tab).

4. Command + Spacebar (all Adobe Programs)

Automatic Zoom tool. Never use the zoom tool any other way again. (Add option for zoom out).

5. Command + Y (Outline Mode, Illustrator)

Great for lining paths up more precisely or when the thing you want to select is actually behind another object.

Recently learned this one. Pressing enter on the numberpad (if you have one), will take you to the next column of text block. Sometimes in the course of laying out a document text blocks change sizes, this ensures the next column doesn’t ever end up back in the first column.

8. Shift + X, swap stroke and fill

If you’re like me you constantly apply a fill when you want a stroke and visa versa. Shift+X is the easy fix.

9. Command+Shift+Option+D, Transform Each

This combo sounds like its from the arcade but it is very useful.

Example. Say this was my clock and after making the dots I realize I like their positioning but they’re just too freaking big. If I try to scale them in any way it will change the dots position. The Transform Each function allows the dots to scale without changing position. (Note: if the objects are grouped, you must deselect one of the objects prior to using this function or it will not work right.)

My hope is that you can find something in this list that you didn’t know about before or that you were reminded of something you already knew. Share your favorite obscure shortcuts below.